BY TOBY MCCRAE
Truth Correspondent
GOSHEN -- In 1905, Indiana's Governor and Attorney General Frank Hanley opened The Jefferson Theater to the public with these words: "Indiana has many splendid cities, many splendid communities and many splendid buildings, but no city the size of Goshen has so splendid a playhouse."
Today, that "splendid playhouse," known to most as The Goshen Theater, or "the old movie theater on Main Street," is calling out for ideas to help restore its grandeur and to make it sustainable as a hub for the downtown, family-friendly arts, business, community and other public use, says Myron Bontrager.
Bontrager, together with DownTown@8:08, the church community of families that he leads, has worked to repair and to open up the space for both church gatherings and all manner of public events since 1998.
"When I look at the theater, this is a place where memories have been made for more than 100 years," Bontrager said. "It's also a place where we can continue to make memories. Why not for another 100 years? It's a really cool opportunity for us to think about. We have all the abilities here to keep investing in downtown and in all the good things that bring us here together."
Countless thousands of dollars have been raised for general upkeep of the historic building over the years. It will take grassroots community interest and investment, not government grants, to keep the theater operational, safe, and beautiful for generations to come, Bontrager said.
Bontrager, who owns The Electric Brew with his two sons, is a former chairperson of "Face Of The City." He thinks there are unexplored, creative, short and longer-term funding solutions and willing volunteers who would help, if only they knew what to do.
The city of Goshen stepped up, through the facade program, to the tune of about $4,000 in labor and materials for the crumbling theater marquee. The city also held onto the grant funding, extending the grant period, until the work could be done. But a complete job to fix and restore the theater's exterior entryway walls, the ticket booth, and entry-way ceilings, may cost about $75,000, Bontrager says. That figure factors in anticipated, generous discounts from local construction, labor and material providers.
"Things wear out over time. What would be really nice, to make the exterior of the theater, from the street, look as great as it does from the inside, would be to polish up the gem. That would be the thing to do first. That would be the best."
City Councilman and owner of Lofty Ideas, Jeremy Stutzman, has put his own muscle -- and his belief in the value of the theater -- to work at solving a few pieces of the restoration puzzle. Last year Stutzman helped patch up the retro marquee. It was leaking rain down onto the heads of people walking underneath it. It also had bad wiring, electrical and lighting problems, rust and decades of obvious decay.
Stutzsman agrees with Bontrager. Those who know Goshen's past and believe in it's future can probably find a way to get this job done, he said.
"Each building is definitely important in downtown Goshen. The theater is an ongoing project and not something anyone can do alone. As far as downtown goes, it's becoming more and more of an arts-oriented place. The Goshen Theater is one of the biggest anchors downtown, as far as a building that we definitely need to protect," Stutzman said.
For the past five years, The Goshen Theater has been open to the public for free events such as First Fridays concerts and gatherings, dance classes, fitness groups, art openings, CD releases, film screenings, charitable fundraising benefits, free Hispanic family movies, weddings, banquets and more.
DownTown@8:08 is not looking for any government money. The Goshen Theater is disqualified from receiving traditional historic grant funding due to it's corporate structure as a not-for-profit.
Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman gives Bontrager credit for opening the church for public use.
"Having a downtown theater owned by this church has not been the detraction to our community that it could have potentially been. Although there's a fine line they sometimes have to walk, I hope there is something they can work out with this community for some long-term sustainability."
Bontrager walks the fine line, he says, whenever the church must decide which events are "family-friendly enough for the venue, and what events they decline.
"The tightrope for us is, this building has housed our church body. We meet here, we gather here, we worship God here. At the same time, it's a building that has been, and should be, used for events for the whole community. We have tried hard to keep the doors open and we've done a good job with the money we have. I have no gripes about that. There is this ownership piece that's really hard. How do we, the community at large and the church together, take responsibility for keeping it up? That's a definite reality," Bontrager said.
The Goshen Theater is structurally sound and in otherwise strong form for a structure of it's age. It will soon need renovations to the auditorium's men's washroom. The second floor balcony will need cosmetic work on the floors, walls and ceilings.
Bontrager says people young and old could help with small or large donations, volunteer manpower or materials. He's open to ideas.
With downtown events and happenings hot on the public's pulse, now might be a good time for the right people to step forward, Kauffman said.
"Goshen has always been a very giving community. And I think there are enough people tuned into downtown and they like what they see is happening downtown. There's always a way to dig a little deeper if you're motivated enough," Kauffman said.
HOW TO HELP
The Goshen Theater/DownTown@8:08 office is not open daily. Call 535-0808 before dropping by.
Donate in any amount, via the Goshen Theater's secure Web site PayPal tool at www.goshentheater.com
Myron Bontrager will arrange free individual or group tours of the Goshen Theater. Book a tour by calling Bontrager at 202-0328.
Mail or drop off a tax-deductible donation (cash or check) to The Goshen Theater office: Goshen Theater Restoration Projects, 216 S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526.
GOSHEN THEATER TIMELINE
THE JEFFERSON THEATER
In 1905, a magnificent, lavish vaudeville theater opened in the 200 block of Goshen's South Main Street. Designed by a Chicago architect, it cost $75,000 to build. The Jefferson was originally named after Joseph Jefferson, a famous actor who died around the time the theater was constructed. On Nov. 5, 1905, Governor Frank Hanley, Indiana's Attorney General, gave the opening address to a full house of people from across the Midwest including dignitaries and hundreds of arts patrons. Citizens lined the streets of downtown Goshen and took their seats.
In this address, Hanley said, "Indiana has many splendid cities, many splendid communities and many splendid buildings, but no city the size of Goshen has so splendid a playhouse."
ONE YEAR LATER -- DEC. 18, 1906
Accidental fire consumes The Jefferson. The fire was started by a clerk carrying a lit candle downstairs to the basement retail level. The Goshen Fire Department and Elkhart firefighters arrived by railroad car to battle the blaze. While citizens watched outside, and despite every effort to subdue the fire, the building was destroyed.
ONE YEAR LATER -- OCT. 10, 1907
The Jefferson is rebuilt to its former glory and reopens. The richest era in the playhouse's history was launched by Marie Cahill, a beloved stage actress of the day. The Jefferson was a regular performance pit-stop for theater companies traveling with play dates between Chicago and New York City. Musical theater productions and the latest silent movies, such as those starring Charlie Chaplin, and political and community events were held throughout this time period.
1948
The Jefferson auditorium was remodeled with new red upholstered seats and a V-shaped, fully-lit marquee was displayed outside overlooking and lighting up Main Street. When it was discovered the marquee was not big enough for all the letters spelling out "The Jefferson Theater", the theater was re-named.
THE GOSHEN THEATER
As well as popular feature films and theater shows, for a time The Goshen Theater held "bank nights," weekly lotteries to help attract and bring ticket-buyers back again and again.
1980S TO TODAY
The Goshen Theater continued operating as a feature film house through the mid-80s. When Linway Plaza arrived fresh on the Goshen scene, Goshen Theater could no longer compete. It went broke. The doors closed for two years.
LATE '80S
Word of Life Fellowship, a former Goshen church, bought the theater and did some minor renovations. Not many years later, that church dissolved and again the doors were shut.
1998
The Goshen Theater's ballroom was rented out by a quickly-growing group of young people who were attending church together and who had a vision for outreach ministry. In 2002, that community, today known as DownTown@8:08, bought the theater.
NOVEMBER 2005
Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman welcomed the community to celebrate the 100th year of The Jefferson at a period-style variety show and tribute event.
NOW
Today, "thirty-something" church community with young families, Pastor Myron Bontager and an active group of community leaders, have established The Goshen Theater as a church and a downtown hub for family-friendly arts, concerts, fitness, dance, entertainment, First Fridays and other community groups and events.